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A watchdog today delivers a damning report into a Northern Ireland nursing home in which residents experienced an “horrific catalogue of inhuman and degrading treatment”.

In a scathing evaluation of the way older people were treated at Dunmurry Manor in South Belfast , the Commissioner for Older People said they suffered “harm through physical and sexual assaults”.

But the investigation, by Eddie Lynch, also lambasts statutory agencies for their failure to tackle endemic abuse at the facility which is run by Runwood Homes Ltd. He has also made 59 recommendations to tackle the issues raised.

The Commissioner, using his investigatory powers for the first time, “responded to complaints from residents’ family members and former employees of Runwood Homes Ltd, raising serious concerns about the standards of care and safety within Dunmurry Manor”.

Runwood Homes today said they are “truly sorry we failed to deliver the high standards of care our residents at Dunmurry Manor had the right to expect”.

Dunmurry Manor is a 76 bed nursing and residential home that provides care for residents living with dementia. Concerns were raised with the Commissioner’s office by families and whistleblowers in 2016.

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Dunmurry Manor received three Notices of Failure to Comply (FTC) with the Regulations for Nursing Care in October 2016. These FTC’s were not lifted at the end of January 2017, after which the Commissioner “determined it was necessary to carry a statutory investigation into Dunmurry Manor”.

That investigation resulted in today’s ‘Home Truths’ report which lays bare a raft of failings and abuse at the home and by the statutory agencies supposed to protect vulnerable people.

Speaking about his investigation, the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, Eddie Lynch said: “When I launched my investigation into Dunmurry Manor nothing prepared me for what I was about to uncover. When a loved one is in a care home we expect them to be provided with good food, adequate drinks, and kept safe from harm, physical and sexual assault. It makes me extremely angry that this was certainly not the case for everyone living in Dunmurry Manor.

Commissioner for Older People Eddie Lynch

“I found that some residents who were extremely vulnerable, living with dementia, experienced a horrific catalogue of inhuman and degrading treatment, with many spending their last few months living in appalling circumstances. There were significant failures in the safeguarding and care of many residents in Dunmurry Manor, with residents suffering harm through physical and sexual assaults.

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“My investigation found that many of these terrible incidents occurred during periods of time when the regulator, the RQIA, reported the home to be meeting the required standards of care. Despite the regulator carrying out 23 inspections in a 39 month period, they did not find the extent of the problems experienced by many residents.

“There was a failure by Dunmurry Manor and its parent company, Runwood Homes Ltd, to respond to the concerns identified by staff, relatives, and some inspections. This was compounded by a failure of statutory agencies to act to protect the basic human rights of residents and their families.

“Over the course of my investigation my team spoke to 119 witnesses and I was heartbroken by many of the families’ testimonies about their loved ones’ experiences in Dunmurry Manor. For many relatives and staff, it took a great deal of courage to come forward and I pay tribute to their bravery and tenacity in pursuing better conditions for their family members and the older people under their care.”

The Commissioner said he is “angry that this problem is not a new one” as more than three years ago the previous Commissioner told the Government that a “whole-system change to the culture of care provision in care home settings was required”.

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He added: “Much of that change has still not happened. We have seen the devastating consequence of inaction and lessons must be learnt. I am making 59 recommendations for change to the way care is commissioned and monitored; to the regulation and inspection of care homes and how complaints from families are handled.

“I have presented my report to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP and the Head of the Civil Service, David Sterling in his capacity as the secretary to the currently suspended Executive Committee. These recommendations seek to improve care and bring about significant change within the system, in the hope that the failings found within Dunmurry Manor will never be repeated again.”

The Commissioner called in expert advisers to help with his probe.

In the report ‘expert adviser’ in adult safeguarding and human rights Professor John Williams said: “There were significant failures by the Relevant Authorities to protect the basic human rights of vulnerable residents in Dunmurry Manor; older people living with dementia, unable to speak up for themselves. In the rest of the UK, there is a clear legal duty to report suspected abuse to a single authority and then for that authority to make enquiries.

“In Northern Ireland responsibility is unclear and homes such as Dunmurry Manor have too much power to keep issues in-house, and not report them externally.”

Eleanor Hayes, the Commissioner’s expert adviser in nursing and care said: “When I looked at the evidence I was shocked by distressing incidents such as residents going for weeks without their prescribed medication, unexplained weight loss of ten stone in five months and failure to adequately treat ungradable bedsores down to the bone are completely unacceptable.

“There was a complete lack of leadership shown by Runwood Homes Ltd and Dunmurry Manor and any staff who were trying their best were completely let down by management.”

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Dr Robert Peat, the Commissioner’s expert adviser in the commissioning, regulation and inspection of care homes said: “The whole system failed residents in Dunmurry Manor and there were clear gaps of accountability which enabled the authorities’ lack of response to identified and serious cases of mistreatment.

“Very few relatives were spoken to by the inspectors and managers told staff not to speak to the RQIA, so no one had a full picture of the really dreadful care in Dunmurry Manor.”

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, Runwood Homes said “our elderly citizens are some of the most vulnerable people in our community and as such have the right to expect the very highest standards of care and consideration”.

Gordon Sanders, CEO of Runwood Homes Group UK, added: “I am truly sorry we failed to deliver the high standards of care our residents at Dunmurry Manor had the right to expect and that, because of those failures, they and their families have had to endure this distressing experience.

“The Board of Directors acknowledge and take full responsibility for these failures and the lack of oversight that could have ensured they did not happen. The Managing Director, Logan Logeswaran, has in fact resigned his position from Runwood Homes Group UK as of yesterday.

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“In August 2017, I put a new Northern Ireland senior management team in place and we have worked hard to put things right at Dunmurry Manor as well as taking strenuous steps to ensure such a situation can never arise at any other Group home.

“Residents and their families can be assured that corrective action has been taken. We are stringently enforcing the very highest standards of operating, technology and service delivery. We guarantee that any resident or family member with concerns can make easy direct contact with senior Directors.

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“Our homes across Northern Ireland are regularly inspected by the RQIA and relevant Trusts and are meeting the required standards, underlining yet again there is no substitute for good management, and diligent and continuous scrutiny by the authorities.

“The care of older people is our vocation and passion. Our dedicated staff teams will continue to strive to provide the excellent quality of care that our residents and their families deserve, promoting independence and treating them with dignity and respect.”

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